Weber State to retire Damian Lillard's No. 1 jersey at August alumni classic

Thursday , August 03, 2017 - 4:18 PM

BRETT HEIN, Standard-Examiner Staff

No. 1 will finally hang from the rafters of the Dee Events Center.

The jersey of Weber State legend and NBA All-Star Damian Lillard will be retired Saturday, Aug. 26, the school announced Thursday.

The retirement will take place during halftime of the Weber State Basketball Alumni Classic to be held at 5:30 p.m. that evening.

“It’s an honor to have my jersey retired and to join so many great Weber State players that came before me,” Lillard said in a release from the school. “Although my jersey is being retired for the work I put in during my time as a Wildcat, I couldn’t have been successful without the support of my coaches, teammates and staff.”

The alumni classic includes a shooting stars competition, a 3-point shootout and an alumni game. Lillard was already scheduled to participate in the first two competitions and coach the game.

A Weber State spokesman said retiring Lillard’s jersey Aug. 26, as opposed to during a game in Weber State’s basketball season, was the best way to ensure Lillard could be there without conflicts in his NBA schedule.

During his time at Weber State, Lillard was a two-time Big Sky MVP and earned Third Team All-American honors in 2012, the only men’s basketball player in Big Sky history to be named to an All-America team.

He left the school second in all-time scoring despite entering the NBA Draft with a year of eligibility remaining, and now stands third behind Jeremy Senglin and Collins.

During 2011-12, his final season at Weber State, he averaged 24.5 points per game, second-best in the country.

He was selected sixth overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2012 draft, was NBA Rookie of the Year in 2013 and has been named an All-Star twice. He averaged 27 points, six assists and five rebounds per game for the Blazers in the 2016-17 season.

Tickets to the Weber State alumni classic are $5 for general admission and are on sale at the Dee Events Center ticket office and at WeberStateTickets.com.

Other players scheduled to appear in competitions that night are Harold Arceneaux, Davion Berry, Jermaine Boyette, Jimmy DeGraffenried, Kellen McCoy and David Patten, all of whom are former Big Sky MVPs. Lance Allred, Kyle Bullinger, Daviin Davis, Lewis Lofton, Nic Sparrow, Walt Tyler and Jimmie Watts are among others set to compete.